MK Kanke wins SRL Southwest Tour Series race at Irwindale

MK Kanke won the Stockcar Racing League Southwest Tour Series race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Saturday night. It was Kanke’s fifth career win at Irwindale.
Jonathon Gomez finished fourth and took over the lead in the SRL Southwest Tour Series standings. He entered the race seven points behind Derek Thorn.
Thorn, who had the fifth fastest qualifying time, was involved in a three-car crash on lap 19 and drove to the pits for repairs. He returned later in the race, but finished in 27th place.
Jason Gilbert was second, followed by Ryan Foster in third.
“There were quite a few wrecks,” said Gilbert, a 28-year-old driver from Dublin, Calif. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
Gomez, a driver from Twin Falls, Idaho, set the fastest time in qualifying and led a race-high 53 laps. He took the lead on lap 19 and held it until lap 72.
Kanke, a driver from Frazier Park and the reigning SRL Southwest Tour Series champion, took the lead from Gomez on lap 73 and held it for the last 27 laps of the race. Kanke was able to maintain his lead through two caution periods, the last coming on lap 98 when Ross Strmiska ran into the turn one wall.
The race was stopped twice. The first red flag came out on lap 45 when Troy Ermish and Carlos Vieira crashed. The second red flag came out on lap 59 when Jacob Gomes crashed into the turn one wall.
Kanke missed the SRL Southwest Tour Series race at Irwindale in July. He entered Saturday night's race in 15th place in the SRL Southwest Tour standings.
Gomez won the race at Irwindale in July.
Donny St. Ours of Upland won the Legend Cars race, his first of the season. St. Ours was making only his third Legend Cars start of the season. He was coming off a seventh-place finish two weeks ago.
Chad Schug of Oak Hills was second, followed by Darren Amidon of Santee in third.
Brent Sheidmantle of Alta Loma, the leader in the Legend Cars standings at the track, was fifth.
Dylan Lupton from Wilton won the S2 stock car race, his third of the year. Michael Lewis of Laguna Beach was second and Andrew Porter of La Verne was third.
Lewis is a two-time winner in the USAC Western Ford Focus Midgets this season. He was making his S2 stock car debut at Irwindale.
Lupton took the lead in the S2 stock car standings at Irwindale. He has a six-point lead over Roman Lagudi from Las Vegas. Lagudi was fourth in the S2 stock car race. He and Lupton entered the race tied for  the lead in the S2 stock car standings.
Ryan Cansdale from Laguna Beach won the Bandoleros race. It was his fourth win of the season and his second in a row.
Blaine Perkins of Bakersfield was second, followed by Christian McGhee of La Verne in third.
Trevor Huddleston, the leader in the Bandoleros standings, was sixth.